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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

prioritizing

mini quilt inspired by the cover of my book
yet another work in progress

﻿I've been thinking about prioritizing a lot lately. It goes hand in hand with my resolution of being intentional this year. I have more quilt ideas and plans than I can shake a stick at. (And more fabric, too!) Too much inspiration is not necessarily a bad problem to have, but it can be painful at times. It's been feeling painful lately. I'm trying to figure out how to prioritize and to be honest with you, I'm not having much luck. I jot my ideas/sketches down on a scrap piece of paper as I think of them on whatever scrap of paper I can get my hands on. (I've tried to have just ONE notebook and for some reason that doesn't work for me...) The ideas continue to rattle around in this crazy head of mine. Eventually one idea screams louder and longer than the rest...and then eventually I jump in. That's how I prioritize. I think I may need a new method. (Or, I hate to say it, fewer ideas!) So, my question to you is how do YOU prioritize?

Just for the sake of keeping it real, here's a shot of my craft room today. I think CLEANING should be on the top of my list. There isn't even a path to walk through. I think I know how I'm spending the rest of my afternoon....

I do write long lists but if there is something really pressing on my mind I usually avoid it until I get what I call 'the fear' - i'm getting it right now with the tax date looming and still i sew and craft until I simply can't put off the inevitable.

The last few months I've tried to focus on one project (or stage of a project, I have a few quilt tops that are in waiting phase) at a time. I have 4 quilts I want to finish by May, one is king size, one is baby, the other 2 are middle size (these 2 are gifts). I'm just trying to remember that those 4 are really important to me finishing in that time period so I don't get sidetracked. Also doing a little work each day helps too.

I move fabric around, draw pictures, and then get sucked into a baby quilt or baby afghan, or teacher gifts, or presents for mother's day. Then I finally start an idea, and get sucked into the whole yearly craziness. I have a large half-finished pile.

Clearly this method is not working for me. But I LOVE giving handmade gifts. (And I am not even touching on the with-kids projects, cub scout projects, etc etc!)

Hi. I have been a silent follower of your blog for some months now.I think it is inspiring and you are very generous with your skills.What has made me click the keys today is this photo of your workroom.I thought all quilters were working in wonderfully organised workrooms and could just put their hands on anything. But no. Your rooms just like mine. Wow! I feel better.Thank you.

Not only to I want to make every flipping quilt that you post, I can totally relate...with regards to ideas and the state of the craft room... We just learned about the artist Grandma Moses. she was an amazing artist that didn't start until she was over 70...she didn't have time until then. I love your craft room... at least yours has a door... mine is in clear view of my dinner table and a shared room with my kids playroom... I have a huge sinking feeling every time I tell them to clean up! Like "what sort of example am I setting. Thanks for keeping it real!

Reading all of these quilting blogs and posts about UFO's and WIP's and all that jazz confused me at first. I sketch ideas and measure out quilts for buying, but I never have more fabric than leftovers of completed quilts, and the one I'm working on currently. I must the oddball in the community.

I'm afraid I try a different approach each new year, and then usually eventually fall into my usual, scattershot approach. And regarding the sewing mess situation, I teeter from one extreme to another. It's easier to start a new project in a tidy setting but the 'creative mess' is somewhat energizing once you get going, don't you think? ;-)

I'm HORRIBLE at prioritizing! I wished for years to have a "commissioned" quilt. Now I've got two to make and I've been putting it off for MONTHS! That's bad. I've got SO much I want to do, but I feel guilty because I know I should be working on the paid gig first. Good luck...I'm rooting for you :)

Thank you for the photo-looks similar to mine. But at your´s you can still see the floor, so it´s still pretty tidy I think. We have a proverb here " wo gehobelt wird da fallen Späne" googletranslater is not able to translate that I belive... it means when you are working - you can´t avoid the side effects like some chaos...Liebe Grüße Melanie

Over several days right at the end of the year I made a list filling an entire page of projects I wanted to make. I keep thinking of more to add. Then I thought of what I wanted to finish in the next month or so...what had deadlines and made a new list of 5 things. I'm trying so hard to only think about one at a time and only look at the small list. But I keep seeing all these great sew alongs and sort my fabic and get so distracted. So far I haven't started anything new. But it is SOOOO painful! I'm not sure what to do about it but I really want to be more focused this year. I hope someone has a great idea!

I had to move my sewing machine to my bedroom because my sewing room is such a mess. Trying not to get distracted with a major overhaul until I finish this quilt. I'm close, though. Thanks for sharing your picture so we know we aren't alone!

I'm great at prioritizing. I have to make a blessing outfit for my son by February 5, so that's the only thing I can work on right now...

Problem is that because I HAVE to do it, I don't. It helps me sharpen my procrastination skills.

And then nothing else gets done. So I have to calm the sewing beast that lives inside with trips to sewing/quilt shops... and then I spend money on new things for new projects... It's a never ending cycle. I should just get that outfit done.

Love the sewing room photo - mine is much the same at the moment - I hope to tackle it sometime this month. I have been working in a similar way to you for years - lots of sketches on scraps of paper and going with the flow creatively. The easiest quilts are those which already seem to exist before I make them so it's just a matter of going through the process (hope this makes sense!). This year I am trying to be a bit more organised. I am trying to finish two UFO's for each new project. I think this means that the number of WIP's should shrink throughout the year - time will tell! I have already finished one baby quilt and have just the binding to finish on another so two finishes already. The plan is that working on these will reduce my UFO pile my stash and my scraps while still allowing me to start new projects as the fancy takes me. I am hoping that the promise of a new project should be enough incentive to finish get the others finished.

I also intend to gather up all the scraps of paper and put them in one place - either a book or a folder so I can find them when I need them.

Good to see that your craft room looks like mine. I destroyed mine during the Christmas rush and I have not been in the mood to clean it, so I just walk over my piles and shut the door when I walk out(maybe I shouldn't have a door on my craft room). I guess I prioritize by which deadline is closest, or by what I'm in the mood to work on. If you find a good solution let me know I need a better one.

Oh, but I see so many things I'd like a closer peek at!Like those tiny triangles on the left...

I don't have a good plan for prioritizing, but I do try to keep no more than 3 works in progress going at a time, and when a quilt top gets completed, getting it quilted becomes my top priority, above laundry apparently.

I keep a list (handwritten on cute stationary, and dated, of course) taped above the light switch in my sewing room labeled "Quilts to work on". It usually has my current obsessions towards the top, followed by a list of ufos/wips that i want to sleep under or need to gift soon, and then a few ideas or recipients that I know i should make but haven't really figured out yet (like "wedding quilt for amy"). This list doesn't always keep me on track, but it does help mark the passage of time. when "wedding quilt" is still on there and I've already been to the wedding.. then i know i need to either get another present or get on that quilt. And it is always a good feeling when i cross one off the list. Every few months I write a new list and tape the old one in my sewing room journal.sometimes when i really want to start something new but know i shouldn't, i'll sort fabric instead. last week I sorted all the crumbs and long strips out of one scrap basket and now i'm ready when i finally allow myself to start that new crumb quilt...

I recently thought that I need a list of each project I have with the "next step" written off to the side. Then when I have time to craft I can look through the steps and chose the one that I am in the mood to do that day. It may be a sew big straight lines kind of mood and I can pick up a quilt top that needs borders - or it may be a very creative mood day - and I could make blocks etc. If nothing else it will keep me organized!

My poor sewing room is worse than yours if it makes you feel any better. It is so bad my sewing mojo is lost under the mess somewhere and I haven't even turned my machine on since before Christmas. My mission tomorrow is to get it sorted and put back in order so I can start creating (and messing it up) again!

So good to know that my sewing room isn't the only one that looks like that. I'm preparing to teach a class on using your scraps next week. I've been working on a bunch of scrap quilts at once and the scraps have some how exploded all over my sewing room!

I tend to get pretty frustrated when I want to do so much, but there is either no time, or I don't have the skill. Most of the time my priority is induced by which fire needs to be put out. A baby quilt for a gift, a table runner for a birthday present, a lap quilt for my son....... that's pretty much the way it has been. And my sewing area does look like Linus in Peanuts. I try to keep things organized, but once I start working on something, everything seems to come out :-(

Prioritize? Not the greatest at that. Usually my projects have deadlines such as a birthday or an ebay launch. Those projects get top billing, the rest sit on the back burner. Sometimes indefinitely. LOL

I wish I could be helpful, however I can just tell you that you have a lot of company trying to figure the same thing out. Generally the projects I finish are a gift with a date I need to have them done by... UFO's breed like rabbits. Thanks for sharing though.

I have a binder, so I can punch holes in my paper and keep in in said binder. I also keep insperation pictures in there and patterns. It at least keeps it all in one place. I also have all my WIPS on a peice of paper and cross them off as I go. Lastly, getting pregnant has helped as nesting has kicked in, so there is always that option. My stuff is still messy, but has improved.

I read your post and I feel that I'm rowing the exact same boat! I've been enlisting the help of my son. He is a director for a company and manages...managers that run stores with 6-10 people under them. He has to help THEM manage there stores and help the managers how to teach THEIR empolyee to prioritize and organize. He is starting me out with a few questions that I have to answer. He's told me that you have to have a system in place BEFORE you organize. Otherwise you organize areas seperately. If the system is in play the organizing all work together like gears that touch each other.

anyway... if you are intersted, I can send you some of my first questions that he gave me. =)

I don't have any tips on prioritizing, but I wanted to say "thanks" for the pic of your sewing room! Glad someone else's room looks like mine! Now if only my husband understood that it's a normal part of my "creativity!"

When my sewing room looks like that I find I can no longer create in it. Once I stop all sewing and clean it up and put things to rights, then I am good to go again. Then I make a list of everything I've got going and the stuff I want to get started. I put the things with deadlines first and after that, it's a free for all. Sorry, but that's all I've got. i love your work though and I have quilting my 36 patch on the list, about half way down right now.

Sorry, no help here! The inside of brain sounds like yours, the inside of my craft room looks exactly like yours and my method of diving in to the idea that screams the loudest is the same as yours too. Maybe not the most efficient way of doing things, but it sure can be fun!

I don't really prioritize, but I do keep my jotted down quilt ideas and patterns in a binder. I use those clear drop-in sleeves to hold the paper scraps so they don't fly all over the room .

In a different part of the binder I have a list of things I need to buy in order to finish a quilt -- needs a border (2 yards), or batting, size Twin, that kind of thing. When I head out to the quilt store, I take this list with me so I can at least pretend to be organized and perhaps make some headway on those "almost done" quilt tops.

Then I find something new and wonderful at the quilt store and instantly drop the rest into the plastic bin so I can start the new fabric right away!

I have a list of UFOs/WIPs and a list of the quilts that need to get done in the next few months (ex. baby quilts, wedding quilts). I try to keep these lists in mind, however, quilting is my hobby, and my husband is very good at reminding me that it is suppose to be fun. He is always telling me to go do what I FEEL like doing. So if I feel like starting a new project, then I do, without feeling guilty. I have so many WIPs that usually I have different projects at different stages, so if I feel like piecing, I can; if I feel like appliqueing, I can; if I feel like quilting, I can...I am so glad mine is not the only room that looks like that! Thanks so much for sharing and good luck with prioritizing!

I use a combination of a 3-ring binder and an unlined journal. In the binder, I collect photos, other people's patterns...all those random ideas (on scrap paper). I also have a tab in the binder with reference info like the actual sizes of different size beds and battings, binding yardage, etc. The journal is for my "original" designs. Roughly twice a year I write up a list of my UFO's. It averages 20+ And I write a list of "Waiting in the Wings" - things I have fabric and design for but am trying to wait to start (only 15 currently). I pick 1 hand applique, 1 hand quilting, 1 hand piecing, 1 machine piecing & 1 machine quilting project that will be my # 1 priority. That gives me permission to work on 5 projects at once that appeal to me for totally different reasons. I frequently wander from that list, but it does help me to stay a little more on task since so many of my projects are complicated and long term.

Hmm..afraid I have no helpful advice to offer. Let's just say I'm usually surrounded by scraps of paper, and I would feel VERY at home in your craft room the way it is. In fact, cleaning it might confuse me. ;)

I had a teacher tell me one time "don't fight with your brain". I was trying to take notes the way I had been taught and it wasn't working for me. I was a visual notetaker. Sort of like this (but in my own way but with more bubbles and pics) http://www.bized.co.uk/sites/bized/files/images/S12SPRAY.gif

So, my suggestion is to stop fighting your brain. Get a pinboard (not pinterst - that can only lead to more of a disaster) and pin your jotted pieces of paper (even if it is only one word) then start mapping them into priority. Make it art because you are a creative person.

You never know, it might be just what you need!! Forget a notebook...not your brain's style.

I keep some of my ideas in a notebook but I agree with Quilter in the Gap - don't fight your own way of keeping order. When I feel I can't stand the chaos anymore, I make a deal with myself to spend a specified amount of time (even just 1/2 hr) on cleanup. Then I accept that as an artist, keeping a super tidy craft room is not my priority. Making quilts and art is.

I do a pretty good job at prioritizing and I'm still behind! Truth be told, a full 1/2 of all rooms in my house look like your craft room ;) I do have a one year old and work full time but still. Keep at it! Your projects turn out great!!

Scrap paper is fine if that is what works for you. I find just one notebook does not work for me either.

What I do is put a basket out that all my scrap paper ideas get thrown in. Then they are at least on one place.

There is more than one room in my house right now that looks like your craft room. I have kids and they are my priority, not messes. I clean while they are at school, but sometimes there is not enough time in the day to get it all done. Thanks for keeping it real and showing us that your house is not perfect either. It makes some of us feel that we are not alone. :-)

I'm trying to do better in living intentionally this year as well. It feels good, doesn't it? By the way, if it makes you feel better - my sewing room is worse! It is on the list for a complete overhaul this weekend, hope nothing interferes this time.

I think your method is JUST FINE. If you don't bend to the screaming, it will just scream louder, and suppressing it will be distracting and you can't give your full attention (or love) to whatever project you feel obligated to work on instead. Cranking out something you're not fully engaged in just makes it feel like work -- not craft or art or fun. It may result in a few more WIP's or UFO's that you can come back to eventually, but at least the screaming is gone. :)

I LOVE your blog! And your wonderful quilts!! I somehow have it in my mind that everyone's craft room looks neat and tidy! Thank you for your picture! Though I must say that yours still looks better than mine since we can still see the floor!! My husband wisely told me that maybe I am trying to put too much in the room! This is true since it also is the library and overflow room! :) Organizing does help me to think better! :)

Your room looks like my sewing room and I'm sure that's why I've been in a funk the last month or more and haven't even gone in that room. I HATE clutter and disorganization and my room is a mess. Guess I better get in mine and clean up too, maybe then I'd be inspired to sew again.

I love that last pic! I had a cleaning lady after each of my babies were born and the last one was an artist. I wouldn't let her clean my craft room as it was always in a state of mess but she said that is a sign of creativity so please just let me vacuum it! so she did!

My craft room is always messy! at the moment I've had to pack it up so we can sell our house and it's just been embarrassing how much stuff I have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude, you are so BRAVE! I would never have the guts to show my horror of a sewing room! LOL!

Actually, my bestest girlfriend came over today for 3 hours and she left with ... no joke, about 100lbs of fabric & scraps. She's having a garage sale in May so I have time to "call back" anything I regret parting with. Or that I might need to make a quilt or 2 from you new book. tee hee

But it's so weird in this room now. There's practically an echo in here! I'd almost forgotten what the beautiful hardwood looked like. And I feel like I can breathe again.

I've read so many comments here from fellow quilters that have sewing rooms as bad or worse than yours is. Honestly for me I wouldn't be able to get any work done. The clutter nnerves me more a lot and I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Plus I need to be able to find what I need when I need it. I am an organization nut and I'd have to straighten it up first.

I am a major list maker and work off of that. It keeps me on track with what I need to do and when.

When I get stuck or overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to do, I make something new that will only take an hour. I find it envigorating! Thanks for posting that pic of your sewing room, mine is in an identical state at the moment!

I prioritize by the calendar. How many days before something has a deadline. That's not always pleasant sewing that way because I am rushed, but if I didn't, I wouldn't always get MY sewing project that I'm keeping for me finished. I could be sewing things for others ALL the time.

The prioritize method didn't work for me! I often change my mind and move on to something new! My new goal or maybe prioritize is {focus} on finishing the project and create smaller projects that would allow me to finish! I have been loving your {Finish it up Friday} post! It is a great place to share with other people and check on what other people have been accomplished! Thank you! p.s. You home isn't as messy as my! I haven't done any cooking or cleaning for the week.. cheers~

THank you for the craft room pic. I haven't entered my work area since before christmas. I know the first thing i need to do is clean so I have been finding other things to do. Maybe tomorrow.. haha..manana, manana..

Prioritizing has been on my mind a lot lately, too, Amanda. It is so hard. I have so many things that need to be at the top of my list. I love your craft room pic. I have many days like that, but mine doesn't have the big bright window, so it also looks dingy! LOL

Love love love that you shared a picture of your craft room. As the mom of a teenage son I've been thinking that I'm the only person on earth who has a house that looks like this...and I can't blame it on just him...I'm equally quilty of too much going on. You make me smile :o)

I have been working hard at prioritizing and that sentence you wrote of an idea getting louder and louder in your head-- that is how it is with me too! I loved reading this post- thanks for sharing these thoughts.. I love your reading your blog, and I probably dont leave enough comments- but I you and all of your projects are totally inspiring!

There are some good ideas to help those of us who are more "artistic" than organized. I'm getting a lot of ideas and help from the book "Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter" by Carolyn Woods. I like how she takes you through steps of figuring out what you have both spacewise and stashwise and how to work within your means and style to keep it all useable.

My purse is heavy with sketches, ideas, and measurements. I've tried making lists, making spreadsheets, etc., and it has been helpful, but the only thing that has worked lately is trying to focus on finishing some old projects so that I can get excited about the new ones. I've got several projects for friends that are years old now, and it's time. Of course, then, I decided to start a new gift (a duvet cover for my brother), and I'm all out of line again. I also made the mistake of buying several new books, because I apparently didn't have enough inspiration already. D'oh! So, right now, I'm in the "just try to finish up one thing at a time and don't be too hard on myself" stage. I need to finish cleaning up/organizing my sewing room, too - made more important by the duct cleaning guy who just flooded my sewing room with dust from the return located right by my sewing room door. Argh! It's just not as fun as sewing, but like my office at work, I know I'll feel relieved when it is all done and I can feel organized about my projects. I'm thinking about trying to set goals for myself on my blog to keep myself honest, but really...I'd rather be sewing! So...yeah...please let us all know when you've found the answer!

I am so happy to see that the state of my craft room (no longer a guest room-yay!) is very comparably to this picture right now. I think part of the problem is trying to pack too much stuff into one small space... I need to prioritize, too, and I am working on creating manageable goals for each week, and I am trying not to waste my valuable sewing time by pinning more things to sew or reading too many blogs! Blog reading is delegated to lunch time at work right now for a while until I learn how to balance everything.:)